There are a number of popular definitions of what a Christian is! Some people define a Christian as:

	Someone with good morals (a "good" person)
	Someone who goes to church
	Someone who lives in a "Christian country" (like Canada)
	Someone who was baptized at some point in the past
	Someone who is a member of a particular church

However, none of these really captures the essence of what a Christian is. A Christian may have good morals, may have been baptized, and may go to church, but that is not what makes him/her a Christian!

1. What a Christian is NOT

It may be helpful, right off, to say that a person is NOT NECESSARILY A CHRISTIAN just because he/she lives in a particular country, has been baptized, belongs to or attends a particular church, or is a good person! But, Christians are encouraged to be baptized, attend and belong to a church, and live in a Christ—like way!

 2. So, what is a Christian?

Jesus said: "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Very simply, a Christian is someone who believes in Jesus!

To explain a bit more … All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard for us. The Bible tells us that (Romans 3:10-23); but most of us don’t need the Bible to make us aware of our imperfections! If we are honest with ourselves, we know them all too well! And, as imperfect people, we cannot relate directly with a holy, pure, perfect God! The results of our sinfulness are separation/alienation from God, and death.

But God loved the world (including you!) so much that He gave His one and only Son – Jesus – to die in our place. Jesus, fully human yet also fully divine, was just as holy, pure, and perfect as God is. So when He died in our place, He reunited us with God. And He paid the penalty for our sin (Romans 3:21-26). So when we believe in Jesus, we believe that we can have a close, personal relationship with God, because Jesus has paid the price for our sin. And we believe we do have eternal life, because Jesus died in our place (Romans 5:6-11; Colossians 1:15-23)!

It is important to recognize that God does everything to save us (Ephesians 2:1-9)! We don’t save ourselves by our own efforts! Being "good" doesn’t save us. Being baptized doesn’t save us. Going to church doesn’t save us. Faith in Jesus Christ saves us! So all we do is accept the great gift God gives us – Jesus Christ.

Being a Christian then, means accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour. (See "How Do I Become A Christian")

3. What do Christians "Look Like"?

Christians are ordinary people! But they are ordinary people who know they have been saved by the grace of God! Christians still sin. Christians still make mistakes. Christians still get sick. Christians still burn supper. Christians still lose their tempers. Some people expect Christians to be perfect – or they call us hypocrites. Christians are still humans beings – redeemed human beings!

Jesus said: "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15). So Christians shouldtry to live lives in obedience to Christ where their behavior is becoming more and more Christ-like all the time! None of us will ever be perfect in this life, but we aim for perfection!

In Paul’s writings, he often compares what we were like, before we believed in Jesus, and what we ought to be like, now that we believe in Jesus (See, for example, Ephesians 4:17-5:21, Colossians 3:1-17).

We often refer to this as making Jesus the Lord of our life. Making Jesus our Lord is an ideal to which we ought to strive, continually. But it is a goal we aim for, not a plateau which we ever reach! Try as we might, none of us will ever be perfect. But we keep on trying!

Note: our moral goodness does not save us – our faith in Jesus as our Saviour does!

4. What Do Christians "Do"?

Those who put their faith in Jesus as their Saviour (Christians!) are commanded by God in Scripture to be baptized (See "What is Baptism?") and to join together with fellow Christians in a local church (See "What is Church Membership").

These are essential steps of obedience to Jesus Christ! They are crucial parts of our Christian growth as we strive to make Jesus Lord of all of our lives. But they do not save us – our salvation is guaranteed by our faith in Jesus as our Saviour!

 "Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4)